1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a swim fin typically worn by SCUBA divers, and more particularly to a swim fin which is adaptable for swimming and walking.
2. Background Art
Swim fins are well known for providing a greater propulsive force than simple kicking bare feet during swimming. It is also well known in the art that swim fins are terribly inefficient while entering and leaving the water from the beach or a boat. Typically, the swimmer will assemble and wear the appropriate diving gear, while donning the swim fins last and only when near or in the water. Further, the fins will be removed first when approaching the shore or prior to climbing a ladder to a boat. There is a need to provide a swim fin that can effectively and efficiently accommodate the swimmer when entering and leaving the water environment.
Various devices have been developed to overcome this inconvenient. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,719 discloses a swim fin including a fin portion that is strapped to a shoe for swimming while having the swim portion unstrapped for walking or climbing up a ladder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,272 to Grim discloses a swim fin for use in a swimming and walking. The swim fin includes a foot and a web mounted to the foot for movement from an extended position to an upright position. For changing from the swimming mode to the walking mode and back, the swimmer would reach down to the swim fin and pull against a spring urging force to relocate pins securing the web in its selected position. Yet further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,499 to Von Biskupsky discloses a swim fin that includes a web rotatable from a forward extending position to a rearwardly extending position while pivoting the web under the shoe after manually unlatching the web from its locked position.
Such reversible styled swim fins are awkward to use, especially when wearing full diving gear while going from swimming to walking or climbing a ladder.